"From the bestselling authors of The Right Nation, a visionary argument that our current crisis in government is nothing less than the fourth radical transition in the history of the nation-state. Dysfunctional government: It's become a cliche. And most of us are resigned to the fact that nothing is ever going to change. As John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge show us, that is a seriously limited view of things. In fact, there have been three great revolutions in government in the history of the modern world. The West has led these revolutions, but now we are in the midst of a fourth revolution, and it is Western government that is in danger of being left behind."--Provided by publisher.
Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note: Part One. The Three and a Half Revolutions -- Thomas Hobbes and the Rise of the Nation-State -- John Stuart Mill and the Liberal State -- Beatrice Webb and the Welfare State -- Milton Friedman's Paradise Lost -- Part Two. From the West to the East -- The Seven Deadly Sins--and One Great Virtue--of California Government -- The Asian Alternative -- Part Three. The Winds of Change -- The Place Where the Future Happened First -- Fixing Leviathan -- What Is the State For? -- Conclusion: The Democratic Deficit.